Beauty products that offer both short- and long-term benefits are becoming increasingly popular – think foundation with built-in SPF, mascara that doubles as a lash serum or tinted lip products that are nourishing.
Where the latter is concerned, Summer Fridays is the brand on everybody’s lips (pardon the pun) and serves as a great example of the makeup-skincare hybrid approach to products. Championed by the likes of Sofia Richie Grainge and Alix Earle, its lip butter balm is by far its most popular product, a gloss that leaves a sheer tint while hydrating lips.
As you’d expect with something of such cult status, budget beauty brands are beginning to launch their cost-effective alternatives to the glossy balm to rival Summer Fridays’s pricey formula. Case in point: Rimmel has formulated a £9 balm that is half the price, and it might just be the perfect everyday gloss. I put both balms to the test to find out whether the higher price tag really does mean better results.
How I tested
I have been using both lip glosses for several weeks now. Trying out a range of shades from each and finding my favourites (and least favourites). I’ve worn the glosses during busy work days, testing how they held up against coffee breaks and lunchtime sandwiches. I also took the glosses with me on nights out, noting how often I needed to reapply throughout the evening.
For a lip gloss to make it into my good books, it must meet specific criteria. I’m looking for a lip product that is hydrating but isn’t sticky. I want the sheen to be shiny but not greasy – yes, there is a difference. I also want a gloss that doesn’t dry up or require constant reapplying. Scent and added flavour can also be the difference between a gloss you reach for time and time again and the one you leave at the bottom of your bag.
Rimmel oh my gloss! butter me up
Size: 15ml
Shades: Vanilla frost, bubblegum, coral breeze, latte delight, red velvet and mellow mocha
Vegan: Yes
My favourite shade: Latte delight
Why we love it
- Unique angled applicator makes for foolproof application
- Feels super hydrating
- Great shine
Take note
- Not particularly long-lasting
- Lips feel slightly dry in between applications
- High pigmented colours split and separated on the lips during testing
Rimmel describes this buttery gloss as its most advanced lip product yet. The formula includes skincare actives such as peptides, hyaluronic acid and squalane, which work to add instant and long-lasting hydration.
For me, the unique applicator shape was one of the main selling points of this buttery gloss. Its severe hooked angle hugged my lips as I applied it, making for foolproof and precise application. I also enjoyed the lack of any heavy fragrance or added flavour. There was also no stickiness, which is always appreciated, especially on windy days.
Colour-wise, I found performance differed between the shades. My favourite was ‘latte delight’, a subtle brown neutral that could go from looking practically clear to the perfect moody autumnal shade once combined with a lip liner or given an extra coat. However, the more heavily pigmented shades struggled. For instance, the purple-hued ‘mellow mocha’ split and separated on my lips, requiring some blending and fiddling to get an even colour. I also found that while my lips felt super nourished, I did have to reapply quite frequently to maintain that shiny sheen and hydrated feeling.
Something I can’t argue with, though, is the price. It is at a much more reasonable price point than the Summer Fridays formula, meaning I found myself to be much more likely to buy multiple shades to find my perfect fit.
Buy now £9.99, Lookfantastic.com
Summer Fridays lip butter balm
Size: 15ml
Shades: Brown sugar, cherry, iced coffee, pink sugar, poppy, sweet mint, vanilla and vanilla beige
Vegan: Yes
My favourite shade: Brown sugar
Why we love it
- Super hydrating
- Subtle, buildable and super-flattering shades
- Thick, buttery gloss finish
- Lasts well
Take note
- Strong scents and flavours
- A little pricey
I have been a big fan of the Summer Fridays lip butter balm since trialling it in my best lip glosses review. I struggle to fault it - the neutral shades, while not as pigmented as traditional lip glosses, create a nice sheen for a ‘your lips but better’ look. It’s also easy to find a colour that complements different skin tones. The gloss also blends beautifully with lip liners, thanks to its buildable colour. It’s a great pick for a lip product that can take you from day to night with ease.
The formula contains shea butter and murumuru seed butter, which soothe and condition lips for a healthier and more hydrated pout. A unique blend of vegan wax is used to create the shiny sheen, and I experienced no greasy residue. Even better, I didn’t find that I needed to reapply frequently.
It is important to note that these glosses come heavily fragranced and flavoured with strong hints of vanilla, brown sugar, cherry and coffee. The ‘iced coffee’ shade, for example, has an overpowering scent and taste – even though the colour is quite gorgeous, I couldn't get past the sickly effect. My other gripe with the lip butter balms is the price point. For a 15ml lip balm, it is pretty pricey, even if it does come with minimalist cool girl branding.
Buy now £23, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Is the Rimmel vs Summer Fridays lip balm worth it?
This was a close call. The similarities in packaging, shade range, sheen and feel were remarkable but, ultimately, one gloss did take the edge for me and it was the Summer Fridays lip butter balm.
Both brands share similar core ingredients, particularly in texture agents and colourants, but the Summer Fridays formula leaned towards a butterier, more hydrating finish with fewer fragrance-related components, which meant the product looked and felt great but also stayed put for longer.
This is not to say I didn’t like Rimmel’s balm. The formula contains more skincare ingredients at a higher concentration, so I did feel it provided more long-term benefits similar to that of a lip treatment. However, the colours and shine were just not as strong or flattering across the shade range.
Summer Fridays formula did a better job at balancing both style and substance, but if you’re not willing to spend more than £20 on a lippy, Rimmel makes for an excellent high street alternative.
Why you can trust us
Besides being a lip gloss fanatic in my own time, I have also used my obsession in a professional capacity, recently writing the definitive best lip gloss review guide for IndyBest. I have also written several other beauty reviews, including best facial cleansers, scalp SPF and anti-frizz hair products, bringing you my honest opinions to help inform your next purchase.
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